Vladimir Putin decorated a brigade accused of massacring civilians in Bucha

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded an honorary title, extolling its “heroism”, to the 64th motorized infantry brigade, which Ukraine accused of having participated in the alleged abuses committed in Bucha, near Kiev, where they found numerous bodies of murdered civilians.

As stated by the Kremlin, Putin signed a decree granting the “honorary title of 'Guard'” to that brigade, taking into account the “heroism and tenacity, determination and courage” of its members.

“The skillful and decisive actions of all personnel in the military operation in Ukraine are a model of the execution of military duty, courage, determination and great professionalism,” Putin wrote to the military.

The Kremlin did not specify where the soldiers were deployed or what their mission was.

The Bucha massacres drew great shock and condemnation from the international community, and led Kiev's allies to take further sanctions against Russia. None of this prevented Putin from giving them honors.

Ukraine accused the Russian army and specifically the 64th brigade of having committed war crimes against civilians in Bucha, which was discovered after the withdrawal of Russian soldiers on March 30.

Russia denies this version and accuses Ukraine and the Western media of having made an assembly or attaches responsibility to Ukrainian forces with the aim of blaming Moscow.

The Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense published the names, ranks and details of the passports of the members of the brigade, saying that they will face justice.

After the departure of Russian troops, bodies of men in civilian clothes, some with their hands tied, were found scattered in the streets, Infobae and other international media confirmed there.

Most of the inhabitants of Bucha died from gunshot wounds, Ukrainian police reported last week.

“95% of the people were killed with high-precision rifles or other light weapons,” said the chief of police of the Kiev region, Andrii Nebitov, in this locality on the northwestern outskirts of Kiev. “During the (Russian) occupation people were shot in the streets (...) It is impossible to hide such crimes in the 21st century. Not only are there witnesses, but it was also recorded on video,” he added.

The inhabitants of Bucha buried the victims themselves during the Russian occupation, whose troops withdrew on 30 March, after almost a month there.

The mayor of Bucha, Anatoli Fedoruk, said that more than 400 bodies had been found after the departure of Russian troops.

Days later, AFP journalists were able to see at least 20 bodies of men in civilian clothes, one of them with his hands tied, lying in a street. Dozens of other bodies appeared later, as well as several mass graves.

(With information from AFP)

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